The Drala'fa
by Blue Skies Rusty
Summary: Post ME2. Shepard recruits the help of an agent to find a cure for Thane. Like the rest of the crew, the spy has her own problems to deal with. Like her old boss the Shadow Broker. Slight FemShep/Garrus and probably some Thane love for good measure.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is my first stab at an ME story and the first fic I've written in quite some time so all critism will be much appareciated.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mass Effect or any of its characters-- but that doesn't mean I won't play with them!! Don't worry I'll put them back exactly as I found them.... more or less.

**Summary:** Post ME2. Shepard recruits the help of an agent to help her find a cure for Thane. Like the rest of the crew, the spy has her own problems to deal with. Like the Shadow Broker for instance. Slight FemShep/Garrus and maybe some Thane love.

* * *

**Chapter One**

The purple asari nodded her head towards the other end of the couch and Shepard settled into the smooth leather. "I see the rumors are true," Aria said, light purple eyes examining the woman beside her. "You made it though the Omega 4 Relay and lived to tell about it."

Commander Jane Shepard smirked slightly, large green eyes dancing with humor. "What can I say? I've made a career out of doing the impossible." She shrugged her proud shoulder casually.

Aria let out a breath of dry laughter. "What do you need?" she asked, getting straight to business and settling back into her normal brusque manner. The thumping beat of loud techno music and the smell of sweat and liquor were a stark contrast to the cold asari.

Shepard leaned forward, elbows on her knees and hands loosely clasped together. Her brow tugged together very slightly but the rest of her face remained a perfect mask of indifference. "Does the name Corey Gidget mean anything to you?"

Purple eyes narrowed and suddenly wary, Aria stared hard at Shepard. Her previously relaxed posture stiffened and the human could see a slight flicker of anger in the asari's eyes. "Not many people know that name," she said, luring Shepard into give her more information.

She took the bait willingly. "I work for the Illusive Man," Shepard said, hands held up with her palms up in a placating gesture. She needed Aria's cooperation on this. "He knows a lot things most people don't."

Aria stood up and turned too look out over Afterlife, arms crossed over her chest. She looked at one of the dancers up on the catwalk in the center of the room but watched Shepard from the corners of her eyes. "What do you want with Gidget?"

Standing beside her, Sherpard spoke in a more hushed tone, barely audible over the music. "I was told Gidget could help one of my crew." She looked over her shoulder where Garrus and Thane stood eyeing Aria's personal guards. The batarian stared back, probably wishing he could take one good swing at either of them.

Aria pursed her lips for a moment. "Gidget is my best informant. I would be very upset if something were to happen to her." The implication was obvious in the asari's icy tone.

"I don't want to hurt her, " Shepard assured. "The Illusive Man told me she might know something about Keplar's Syndrome."

Turning her head slightly, Aria looked over her shoulder at the drell assassin who was talking quietly with the turian that was always at Shepard's side. "I'll see what I can do." Aria resumed her seat on the sofa and waved Shepard off. The human nodded her thanks before collecting her alien entourage and rejoining the crowd in the club.

* * *

The private room to the left of Aria's "throne" was being guarded by a turian with a white tattoo covering most of his face. He held a hand cannon in one clawed hand, letting it hang by his side. Shepard, Thane and Garrus approached and the turian held up his free talons.

Shepard stopped beside him. "You're the only one that goes in," he said in a deep rumbling voice as he glanced back at Garrus and Thane. "Aria's orders."

Shepard could feel rather than see Garrus bristle at this news. She turned her head and met his small blue eyes. "It' ok," she said before he could protest. Garrus stood down but his mandibles twitched erratically in irritation while he glared at the turian guard.

With a final, reassuring glance to Garrus, Shepard walked to the door. The red indicator beeped once before turning green and the door swished softly open. She stepped into the room. With another beep it whirred closed and locked behind her.

The small room where she had been recruited months ago to help take down Archangel-- though she wound up slaughtering all the mercs involved, thus saving Garuss' ass-- was dimly lit. There was a chair in the center of the small room, the weak light pooling around it. The corners of the room were cast in shadows and Shepard's green eyes narrowed as they tried to penetrate the darkness.

"Please, take a seat." The calm baritone belonged to a human female. Shepard looked towards the corner to her right. "The darkness is for my protection. Aria doesn't like people to know what I look like and neither do I for that matter," she said, guessing Shepard's mistrustful thoughts. Slowly, Shepard sat in the metal chair and her green and white armor scraped against it slightly.

The owner of the voice shifted in the dark corner and Shepard could see the outline of a body leaning against the back wall. "Aria must really like you," the woman said. "I've worked for her for," she paused in thought, and Shepard got the impression she was counting on her fingers, "almost ten years now. I've only ever met two other clients of hers." The woman paused again and gave a humorless laugh. "Of course, those two are dead now."

"Aria's been hiding you all these years?" Shepard asked, curiosity peaked.

The woman shifted again. "In my line of work I don't make too many friends.. On the contrary, I've pissed off a _lot_ of people." She shrugged and continued, "Aria's kept me off their collective radars."

"That's a long time to be hiding," the Commander mused. "You must have pissed off half the galaxy."

The woman laughed softly. "Give or take a few. At the very least I've attracted the attention of some mighty powerful people." She waved a hand dismissively. "We're not here to talk about me though. Aria said you needed some information but she wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details."

Shepard leaned forward, one elbow on her knee and a hand on the other. She adopted her solemn voice once again. "One of my crew is a drell with Kepral's Syndrome and he doesn't have much time left. I was told you might know something about a cure, Gidget."

The woman wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. Her silhouette was rigid with tension and her previously pleasant voice was suddenly sharp. "Who told you that?" she demanded. "Where did you hear that name?"

Shepard's own spine stiffened in response to the sudden hostility. "My employer told me--"

"You employer?" she snapped. "You mean the Illusive Man. You are after all with Cerberus." Gidget began to pace and the dim light gave some illumination to her short wiry frame. "Shit," she breathed. "This is bad."

"Cerberus isn't interested in you," Shepard said, holding out a hand in a calming gesture, her voice steady. "We only want everything you know about Kepral's then we'll leave you alone." She looked at the pacing woman in earnest. "We won't hurt you."

Gidget stopped pacing and let out a short, frantic laugh. "Cerberus isn't what worries," she said, voice sounding a little high. "If the Illusive Man knows my whereabouts then the Shadow Broker's agents are probably already waiting outside the damn door." She gestured to the locked door behind Shepard as she spoke and then returned to pacing, one hand running through her light brown hair.

"The Shadow Broker makes your boss look like schoolyard bully. Where do you think the Illusive Man even gets half his information?" Gidget sighed angrily. "I knew this would happen," she muttered, shaking her head. "I knew they'd catch up with me eventually."

Standing up, Shepard took a step towards the woman. In her most calm and patient voice she asked, "Why is the Shadow Broker looking for you?"

The pacing stopped and her shadowed head turned to look at Shepard. The light illuminated half her face and revealed dark green eyes and a pale, face. Shepard would have described her as ordinary-- the perfect look for a spy. "Let's just say he didn't like my 'letter of resignation'."

"You worked for the Shadow Broker?" The Illusive Man had only told her that this Corey Gidget was an informant who might have some information on Thane's illness. He didn't give details and for once Shepard didn't ask. If it meant saving the life of one of her crew-- her family-- she'd do nearly anything.

Gidget rubbed her forehead. "Tell you what Shepard," she said, voice steady again. "If you can get me out of here, I'll tell you everything I know. Hell, I'll even tell you how many times Aria visits the bathroom in a day if you can get me out of here before the Shadow Broker's agents find me."

"I'll help you," Commander Shepard said without so much as a second's hesitation. He hand went to her earpiece so she could contact Garrus and Tane outside. "The last part won't be necessary though." Shepard turned her head slightly. "Garrus? We've got a package to bring back to the ship. There's a catch…"

* * *

It was almost too easy. As Shepard opened the door of the private room, Gidget activated her tactical cloak. The shorter woman placed an invisible hand on Shepard's shoulder so the Commander would know that Gidget was actually with her and not running for cover in the other direction.

"Let's go," Shepard said as she approached Thane and Garrus. Keeping her behavior normal for any prying eyes, Aria included, Shepard patted Garrus' back and gave him a small smile as she passed.

The three walked back to the Normandy at a clipped pace. Thane's black eyes roved from side to side drinking in every detail of every person they passed and every shadow where someone may hide. Garrus kept his eyes straight ahead for much of the walk but he watched from his peripherals and kept a particular eye on Shepard. The Commander's body was taut with worry. She could feel the invisible hand on her shoulder like a lead weight and she held her breath, waiting for the cloak to give out and the agent to be exposed to all of Omega.

"Hey, you." All three of them stopped dead in their tracks and turned simultaneously to look at the krogan who had approached them from the left. Shepard raised a brow at him and crossed her arms while Thane and Garrus subconsciously stepped slightly in front of her.

The krogan, outfitted in dark gray amour and armed to the teeth, barely glanced at the rest of the shore party. He focused on Shepard with his beady eyes. "You Commander Shepard of the Normandy?"

As he spoke, Gidget squeeze Shepard's shoulder. "Agent," she muttered under her breath so only Shepard could hear her.

Shepard only shrugged. "Yep. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm on my way to the Citadel for an appointment." She turned and began walking away.

"Hold it," the krogan barked, stepping towards her.

In a flash Thane was blocking him and Garrus had pulled his gun. Shepard merely paused and looked over her shoulder. "I do not recommend you delay the Commander," Thane stated calmly in his strange gravelly voice. "She tends to get… annoyed when she is late."

The krogan glared at Thane before his eyes dropped to the drell's SMG and the rifle in Garrus' talons. His narrowed red eyes settled on Shepard for a moment. The krogan rattled of a few guttural strands of curses before he rolled a shoulder and fell back. He didn't take his eyes off the trio as they entered the Omega docking area and the door slid shut behind them.

Throughout the entire exchange Shepard was just waiting to the inevitable moment when the cloak would drop. Then, of course, the krogan would attack Gidget and there would be a huge firefight. There was always shooting when she left the ship and Shepard always expected the worse to happen. To her astonishment the cloak held until they were halfway down the dock.

"Tell your pilot to open the door, I have to make a run for it," Gidget muttered quietly. Shepard couldn't see it but she could feel the woman turn her head to look over her shoulder.

On her orders, Joker opened the airlock-- not without a comment or three, of course-- and the agent's soft footfalls were barely audible over the hum of machinery and the bustle and flow of the docks. It had been too easy.

"Get us out of here, Joker. Right now, it doesn't matter where we go." Shepard called to her pilot as Thane and Garrus filed past her. The latter rested his talon briefly on his shoulder before following Thane to the elevator.

Gidget had her back to the wall, hands on knees and eyes closed. "You okay?"

One eye opened and looked up at the Commander. "That was close," she sighed but her lips twitched up in a smirk. "My cloak barely made it to the ship and I thought for sure those agents were going to jump you."

Shepard's brow furrowed. "So there was more than just the krogan." It was more of a statement than a question as she crossed her arms and watched Gidget.

"Oh yeah," she replied, looking genuinely surprised that Shepard hadn't realized this sooner. "At least three."

A frown creased Shepard's face and she let her arms fall to her sides. "Come on," she said, gesturing towards the CIC. "I think it's time you and I had a little chat."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

In the light of the conference room, Shepard could see every detail of Gidget's oval face: a short, lightly freckled nose, low cheekbones, heavy-lidded eyes. There were a few small scars scattered across her face and barely noticeable beneath a thin layer of makeup-- which she used downplay her features and make her more plain looking. The woman was looking up at her with a pleasantly patient expression.

Shepard placed her hands on the conference table and leaned on it slightly. She gave Gidget a leveled gaze across the table. "Why is the Shadow Broker hunting you down?"

Gidget pursed her lips for a moment and her brow wrinkled in thought. "I can't say for certain," she said thoughtfully, "but if I had to guess? I think he's afraid."

With her eyes narrowed in thought, Shepard leaned a little more on the table. "Why do you think that?"

"Look at it from his perspective," Gidget said, waving a hand vaguely. When Shepard didn't seem to follow she explained. "The Shadow Broker doesn't just deal in secrets, his very life _is_ a secret. No one knows who he is or where he is. We don't even know if 'he' is a he at all. Very few agents have had the privilege to speak to him on a secured channel and even then he's used scramblers to change his voice."

"Have you?" She asked before she could stop herself. The curiosity was getting to her and she figured if she learned anything interesting, she could pass on to Liara.

Gidget crossed her arms and shrugged. "Once or twice."

Shepard stored that information away to ask more on later. "That doesn't really explain why he would be afraid of you."

Sighing, Gidget leaned her elbows on the table. "I worked for the Shadow Broker for fifteen years. He provided me with the best training he could find and I put it to good use. By the time I was twenty I was considered one of the best agents in the field and I worked my ass off to get to that point. Right now I could hack into the Illusive Man's _mother's_ private terminal or foxtrot into a Blue Suns den unnoticed." She grinned and Shepard understood she exaggerating though she couldn't guess to what degree. "You saw my cloak earlier."

"Mmm, I meant to ask you about that," said Shepard, tilting her head slightly. "I've never seen a tactical cloak last longer than a few seconds."

"Prototypes," she explained simply and shrugging a shoulder lazily. "A gift from my friend the Shadow Broker." Shepard nodded and Gidget continued her explanation. "Back to the point," she said waving her hand as if to shoo away the distraction. "Imagine, if you will, that your life depends on remaining hidden from the world. You have an agent in your employ whom you have pulled from poverty and molded into your perfect henchman. In your hopes to create the best and most loyal of agents, you have given her the training and tools to succeed. The same tools and know-how that could be used against you should that agent decide to turn rogue."

"So you think the Shadow Broker is afraid you'll reveal him to the world?" Shepard was now fully intrigued. Perhaps after they found the cure for Kepral's Syndrome she could send Gidget to help Liara.

"Well," said Gidget crossing her arms with a wicked smirk. "That, and I don't think he appreciated my 'letter of resignation' too much."

Shepard raised her brows questioningly. "You keep mentioning that."

"After my last assignment, when I was finally convinced to quit, I was supposed to send a message to the Shadow Broker to debrief. Instead I sent him a rather annoying virus." Gridget grinned fully as she reminisced.

"What was the assignment?" Shepard asked out of curiosity. She also wanted to know why Gidget had thrown away everything the Shadow Broker had given her. It seemed like a sweet deal even if the job was morally ambiguous.

At the question, Gidget's smile fell and her eyes sharpened. "Coincidentally, it was to infiltrate a hanar lab and steal all their research on Kepral's Syndrome." Shepard's face registered surprise and a flicker of hope that maybe for once something would be easy. "Before you ask, I don't have the data," said Gidget, crushing her hopes.

"What happened to it?" The Commander's tone was more angry than she intended but she didn't bother to correct it.

Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Gidget sighed. She suddenly looked very tired and much older than thirty-something. "I was contracted by some crazy salarian who wanted to find the cure himself and get all the glory and whatnot. Of course, he didn't have a single datapad to even build off so he contacted the Shadow Broker." She rolled her eyes as if to say, 'can you believe that?'

"So, off I went to Kahje. I did my job and got the research without a problem and I sent the salarian a copy." Gidget looked down at the floor and frowned. "The other part of the contract was to delete the research the hanar had."

"Did you?" asked Shepard quietly.

A pained look crossed Gidget's face. "I started to," she said, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "I stopped it partway through. It wasn't soon enough to save any major breakthroughs but the hanar were only set back a few years and at least had something to build off. Then I sent the virus to the Broker and fled for my life."

They were quiet for a moment while Shepard mulled that over and Gidget got a faraway look in her eye as she relived the memory. "What made you change your mind?"

Gidget blinked and focused on Shepard. "Let's just say I was given a wake up call."

Taking the hint that the other woman had had enough on the subject, Shepard changed gears and went back into Commander mode. She would definitely be asking more questions later, like why she continued to work as an informant if she had received 'wake up call' but she would let is slide for now. "So, what can you tell me about this salarian that contracted you?

Taking the change in subjects gratefully, Gidget relaxed visibly. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and pursed her lips in thought while leaning on the table. "Name was Dr. Taldin. I used my omni-tool to send him the data so I can go through and find where he was. It'll take some time to filter through ten years worth of junk though. I'll also need access some of your ships systems. With a little hacking I can use them to cross reference any information on my omni with that of any space stations in range and--"

Shepard cut her off by holding up her hand. "Save the tech-talk. I can bypass door locks, that's about it."

"Sorry, I get a little carried away," Gidget said with a sheepish grin.

"Don't worry about it. If you ever want to talk tech to someone, Tali is usually in the engine room and Garrus knows a thing or two. Other than that, EDI will give you full access."

Before Gidget could ask who EDI was, the blue sphere popped up from the terminal at the end of the table. "Hello, Agent Gidget," said the silky voice of the AI.

Brows raised, Gidget looked from the sphere to Shepard and back. "An AI? Cerberus really went all out for you."

Shepard shrugged and smiled a little. "I'm like their favorite daughter."

Gidget sniggered. "I bet the Illusive Man's other 'children' just love that." She shook her head. "EDI, where can I go to work?"

"The port observatory is currently vacant," she replied. "To synchronize your omni-tool with myself and the ship, you should visit the AI core on your way."

Rubbing her hands together, she nodded. "Sounds good to me. Shepard." Gidget nodded to the commander who returned the gesture. Before she stepped through the now open door, the short woman stopped and looked back at Shepard. "Ah, before I hop to it," she said hesitantly. "I was just wondering what his name is. The drell, I mean."

Shepard's eyes narrowed slightly as she wondered why it mattered. Instead of asking though she replied, "Thane Krios. He's down in life support if you want to talk to him."

Gidget pursed her lips in what Shepard was beginning to associate with deep thought. "Hmm," she murmured. "That's interesting."

Before Shepard could ask, Gidget waved and offered a quick goodbye before ducking out the door and down the hallway. Shepard leaned against the table, EDI's blue sphere-- her head, as Shepard had some to think of it-- was floating next to her hip. "Why do I get the feeling that things on this ship will never be dull?"

EDI's sphere shimmered once as if in thought before she replied, "Humans are unpredictable and therefore always interesting."

Shepard gave EDI a sideways glance and smiled. "You mean we're amusing."

"As an artificial intelligence, I was not equipped with a sense of humor. I am quite serious at all times," she said, managing to sound indignant.

"You know EDI," said Shepard as she pushed off the table and headed towards the door. "I might believe that if I didn't hear some of the things you say to Joker." She paused in thought. "Actually that might be where you get it from."

* * *

_Swish!_

The door separating the sick bay from the AI core closed behind Gidget and she leaned heavily against it. Placing a hand against her chest she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Looking up, she noticed Dr. Chakwas staring at her with an arched brow. "Geth," she said, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb.

The doctor smirked slightly. "You get used to it," she said casually.

"Right." Gidget didn't quite believe her, though the few words Legion had spoken to her had been civil-- or as civil as can be expected from a machine. Pushing off the door, she made her way out of the med bay. "Pet geth," she muttered to herself as she walked. "What have I gotten myself into?"

On her way past the elevator towards the portside observatory, she stopped short and looked up. The room in front of her, next to her own room, had the words 'life support' printed in white above the door. She bit her lip and thought about what Sheppard had said. The drell, Thane Krios, was living in that room. The galaxy had a strange sense of humor or someone was playing an elaborate joke on her.

Gidget wondered if she should talk to the drell assassin. She knew if she were in his shoes, she'd want to know what she had to say. Of course, there was the possibility that he'd spring across the room and kill her. Reaching up, she tugged at her notched ear. She really should tell him.

'_Just not right now,' _she thought_. 'I can do it later. When I'm very far away.' _Then she was disgusted with herself. _'Coward. What would dad say if he saw me right now?' _She grimaced at the thought. It had been the same question that had haunted her throughout most of her life and like she had done for most of her life, Gidget swallowed her morals and passed by life support to enter her new room.

It was several hours later when Commander Shepard entered the observatory. The room was a mirror image of Samara's but with one large difference. Instead of an asari justicar meditating in the blue glow of biotic power, there was a small human leaning against the large window with her arms crossed as she stared out into the void. The orange screen of Gidget's omni tool was sitting on a seat behind her, flickering white, blue, green and purple as different files and data appeared on it momentarily before vanishing.

"Hey, Commander." Gidget's quiet voice was the only indicator that she knew Shepard had entered. She hadn't bothered to turn or look at the other woman.

"How's it going?" Shepard asked tentatively, sensing something wasn't quite right. Earlier Gidget had seemed perfectly normal, at ease and ready to joke. At least, she had been until they began talking about her last assignment with the Shadow Broker. Perhaps their talk earlier had cast the woman into some unpleasant memories?

"I set up the omni tool to search through files from that year," she said, still not turning around. "There's a filter set so it will stop on anything pertaining to that particular contract but it will still take time. There's a lot of decrypting, decoding, sorting, re-encrypting, re-coding… pretty much everything on that needs to be a pain in the ass to get to or else any idiot could get access to files that most people shouldn't have." Gidget turned, brow furrowed. "Did you know there's a geth in your AI core?"

Shepard shrugged. "Legion's trustworthy."

"Well," said Gidget thoughtfully. "If you of all people trust a geth, I suppose that's good enough for me."

Shepard's eyes narrowed a little as Gidget turned back to the window. "Are you okay? You seem… quiet."

"Just thinking," Gidget said turning to give the commander a halfhearted smile.

"About what?" She pressed casually.

With a lazy shrug, Gidget looked back out the window. "Retracing my steps, so to speak. Reflecting on how I got here. Choices I've made. Life in general." She turned back to the commander. "Nothing to worry about."

Nodding once, Shepard let it go. "I received a message asking us to go planet side and check out a Blue Suns base. I'd like you to come. See if you're as good as you say you," she half-joked.

"I have a choice?" asked Gidget, feigning surprise. "I thought commanders were supposed to, you know, command."

"That's only if you say no," Shepard said, mouth twitching in a small grin. "We'll be there in less than hour. Meet me in the hangar."

"Yes, ma'am." Gidget said, resisting the urge to snap to attention and give a mock salute.

Not long after Shepard left, Gidget made her way up to the armory. The entire ride up the elevator she wished she had been able to stop and get her own guns. Maybe should could swing by her ratty apartment in the slums and… No, the apartment would definitely be looted by the time she got back to Omega. And there was the off chance that Aria would try to kill for sneaking off without warning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Yeoman Kelly Chambers and Gidget, having been stopped by the woman earlier, cringed. Kelly, as she preferred to be called, was a sweet girl but her overly cheerful attitude was too much for the agent. So, Gidget activated her tactical cloak and strolled silently by and into the armory.

When the door opened, Jacob looked up, brow crinkling when no one was there. Gidget grinned and moved to the other side of the room, footfalls inaudible against the hum of the ship. Jacob went to the door to investigate, popped his head through and took a quick look around the CIC. When everything appeared to be in place, he turned back to continue his work.

He stopped dead when he saw Gidget perched happily atop one of the tables, grinning like the cat that got the canary. "Hi," she said, casually. "What have you got for sniper rifles?"

An hour later-- and another cloaked stroll past Kelly-- and Gidget was fully outfitted for the coming mission. She had found some decent light armor that would fit her and Jacob, though not amused by her antics, had given her one of the best sniper rifles he had and a heavy pistol as a second firearm.

Finding she was early, Gidget settled atop a large metal crate and idly checked her weapons-- though it was unnecessary as she watched Jacob do it twice-- and mulled over the coming mission. They would be infiltrating a Blue Suns base. It was probably a small base and therefore not very dangerous. Of course, the level of security and number of Blue Suns mercs would depend on what exactly the base was used for.

"Hello again." The soft voiced pulled her from her thoughts and her hands stilled over her pistol as she stared dumbly at the drell assassin. He had been like a shadow, coming out of nowhere and Gidget was a little disturbed she hadn't heard him coming.

"Hi," she said, after a long moment in which she realized she had been staring. Quickly, her eyes dropped back down to her gun and she continued to check it over for the fourth time. "I didn't know you'd be joining us on this little mission."

"It is still undecided," Thane said in his gravelly voice. Tilting his head slightly, he indicated the entrance to the hangar where Commander Shepard stood facing Garrus in what was apparently a heated discussion though both their voices were too low to hear. "Shepard does not normally leave Garrus behind, no matter how small the mission. She asked me to accompany her on this outing. He disagrees with her choice."

Gidget watched as Garrus, clearly upset gestured wildly towards she and Thane. Then he placed his hands on his hips and looked down at Shepard with the turian equivalent of a frown. Shepard made a few placating motions with her hands before placing them on his chest. Garrus' posture softened and he raised his hands to her shoulders. Shepard spoke again, raising a hand to his plated cheek. Gidget looked away from what was becoming a very tender and private moment.

"I hadn't realized they were so close," she said, still not looking directly at the drell.

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

"What? No." Gidget finally looked up at him, meeting his large black eyes. "Not at all. It was just unexpected is all."

They fell into silence for a moment and Gidget's fingers reached up, tugging at her notched earlobe again. The moral dilemma she had faced earlier outside his door came back to her. She knew she should talk to him but just before a mission was not the ideal time.

Finally, she slid off the crate, decision made. "Krios," she said, turning to face him. "There's something you should know."

He blinked one set of eyelids then the other. "I am listening," he said, placing his hands behind his back.

"I know this is probably a really bad time, considering we're about to walk into a Blue Suns base but I wouldn't say anything if it wasn't important and there's always a chance of death on these kinds of missions and you really should know…" She trailed off, realizing she was babbling.

Gidget swallowed, looking down at her hands. She pressed her lips together for a moment before she met his black eyes again. "Thane Krios, I watched your wife die."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks everyone for the great reviews, I really appreciate the support. Also, special thanks goes to my unofficial beta, for putting up with reading a story about a game she's never played. You're the best!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

It was a simple mission. Knock on the door and kill everything that moves, as Jack would have put it. Between the two trained snipers and Shepard's own well aimed shots, the Blue Suns didn't stand a chance. Most of the first wave which rushed out to greet them died before they could step through the doors. The rest were picked off before they could make it to their second cover spot.

While Shepard was reveling in the simplicity of the mission and how smoothly it was all going, she was also becoming increasingly aware of the tension among her shore party. She was under the impression that words were exchanged mere moments before she joined them in the hangar. The two had been looking at each other oddly and Gidget was failing to hide her nervousness. The entire ride in the Kodiak had been utterly silent despite a few attempts from Shepard to discuss tactics.

Even now, as the three fanned out to take cover behind a glass partition on the upper level of a large room, Thane and Gidget weren't speaking. The Blue Suns poured forth from a door on the bottom level of the room and rushed forwards, firing at the three intruders. While her teammates methodically picked off the stragglers that were still running in, Shepard pulled out a grenade launcher and watched through the glass as the mercs began bunching together to run up the single ramp which would bring them to her level. A single well timed shot and the Blue Suns were scattered across the floor.

Shepard gave the hand signal and the three moved out. As they explored the bunk room and then a small cave full of iridium, the commander kept an eye on her two teammates. Thane, as always, bore a mask of perfect calm. His black eyes scanned each room carefully as he pushed aside whatever was on his mind and focused solely on the mission. The only indicator that something might be wrong was the thin line his lips had pressed into as he remained silent.

On her other side, Gidget was also clearly focused on the mission. Her face was set in an alert expression, eyes roving over every surface and a slight crease between her brows as she concentrated. Much like Thane, the woman didn't show any signs of distress except the almost imperceptible way she clenched and unclenched her jaw and occasionally glanced at the drell.

They entered the last room and after a few death threats from the captain of the base, two heavy mechs sprang to life. Shepard groaned. "I hate mechs."

With great care and a little evasive manuevering, the three began to attack the mechs. Thane and Gidget were huddled near each other, distracting the mechs by slowly chipping away at their shields and armor. Shepard was positioned behind the mechs and put her grenade launcher to good use.

The crate Thane was crouched behind exploded to pieces when one mech exploded with a fatal shot from Shepard. It knocked the drell to the floor just as the second mech took a step closer to him and began to reach its pincer towards him. Gidget sprinted from her cover and slid across the floor to Thane, activating her cloak as she grabbed the drell's arm and causing them both to vanish. Together they rolled away from the mech and its arm crashed into the metal floor. Gidget's hand remained clamped around Thane's arm as they used the precious few seconds they had under her cloak to scramble for cover just as Shepard shot a final round at the mech and it exploded.

"Are you two alright," Shepard asked, touching a hand to her headset.

"We're fine," Gidget replied. "My cloak will be down for a few hours but we're okay."

"Good," said Shepard as she switched weapons. "We've got company."

As several Blue Suns mercs began to rush forward, Thane and Gidget separated, each taking a post on opposite sides of the room while Shepard covered the center. She poked around her cover and fired at anything that moved and in a matter of moments, the room fell silent. Standing, she motioned for her squad to move forward. A quick sweep of the room proved that not a single merc had survived.

"Nice work," Shepard commented as she looked down at the captain at her feet. The man lay dead in a pool of blood with two neat holes in his forehead, one from each sniper.

She gestured towards the locked door for Gidget and it was open in a matter of seconds. They looked inside the room and Shepard gave an order. The shorter woman stepped up to the main console and began to tick away at buttons and keys while Thane and Shepard took cover behind a glass petition. Gidget turned and ran, pressing herself against the wall beside the door and ducking down. Once the console exploded, Shepard collected her squad and the three left.

The Kodiak ride was nauseatingly silent again and this time Shepard didn't even bother to make conversation. The moment they were back in the hangar, Gidget gave her a curt nod and walked quickly to the elevator where she disappeared. Thane, giving her a head start, lingered for a moment, checking his sniper rifle before he headed towards the elevator as well.

"Thane," Shepard called, causing him to stop and turn towards her, hands behind his back. "Want to tell me what's going on? The tension between you two was so thick a bullet would get lodged in it."

Thane blinked both sets of eyelids as he looked at his commander. "There was a minor misunderstanding," he replied after a moment. "It is nothing of concern. I will sort it out."

She narrowed her eyes with doubt but in the end she decided to trust Thane as he had never given her reason not to before. "Alright," she said at last, relaxing a little. "I don't like disagreements among my team."

Thane gave her a small bow before leaving her in the hangar. He greeted Garrus with a slight nod as the turian stepped off the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, Thane saw Garrus place his talons on Shepard's shoulders and ask about any injuries. The human laughed and reassured him.

"What's a worry-wart?" was the last thing Thane heard Garrus say before the lift brought him to the crew's quarters.

In her new room, Gidget set her omni tool down on one of the seats again and reactivated the search program. After strewing her armor and guns among the floor and seats, she pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She heard the muffled beep and swish of the life support door and cringed. Eventually Thane was going to want to talk to her about her confession in the hangar. That, or he was just going to kill her. Maybe she could avoid him like she had been Kelly?

_'No,'_ she decided. _'I'm tired of running and hiding.'_ Gidget turned and looked at the screen of her omni tool as it continued to scroll through files. She resolved to wait for the drell to approach her on the subject and if he didn't within a few days, she would go to him. Gidget wondered how the fight would end should he decide to kill her. Probably not in her favor but she figured after everything she had done-- all the bad choices she made and people she hurt-- she most likely deserved it. Hopefully the assassin would want some time to digest his recent discovery before she had to face him and that would give Gidget time to prepare herself.

EDI's voice filled the room, pulling Gidget from her thoughts. "Agent Gidget," she said in her smooth voice. "Thane would like to speak to you in his room."

"So much for time to prepare," she muttered dryly. She rolled her shoulders, and mentally steeled herself as she exited her room. At Thane's door she took a deep steadying breath before touching the access panel and walking into life support. Ironic, she mused because she was probably going to need life support by the time Thane was done with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Life support was a relatively small room and the air was a little drier than some of the others on the Normandy but that suited the drell just fine. The furniture was scarce, consisting of a small area for Thane to rest and table with two chairs. Thane was sitting in the chair that faced the window to the ship's core. His back was to Gidget, hands clasped and head bowed in prayer.

She stood behind him, shifting awkwardly. She didn't know if she should speak or even what to say and there was no doubt the assassin knew she was there which made her feel all the more awkward in the silence. After a few minutes of deliberation, she decided to speak first and had just begun trying to think of something appropriate to say when Thane's lips stopped moving in his silent prayer and his head rose.

"Agent Gidget," he said formally without turning his head. "Please, sit."

Slowly, like prey watching a predator, Gidget moved around the metal table and slid into the chair across from him. Thane's black eyes were unerringly focused on her face, his body straight in his ever-perfect posture. Gidget knew her own body was wound tighter than a batarian drill sergeant. For a long time the two just stared at each other, Thane expressionless and Gidget frowning slightly.

"I would very much like you to elaborate on what you told me earlier," Thane said in that cool, gravelly voice. Not a single syllable betrayed any emotion he may have been feeling. "Please, tell me everything that happened."

Gidget pressed her lips together for a moment before asking, "Are you sure?" She gazed levelly at him, her eyes expressing that some of the things she would say wouldn't be pleasant.

Thane folded his hands neatly on the table. "Yes. I have ruthlessly killed everyone responsible for my wife's death but I have still spent many years wondering what transpired that day."

Nodding, Gidget leaned back in her seat and tilted her head back. She ran her hands over her face, rubbing her forehead as if she were trying to pull the memories forward. "Odd how badly you want to know," she said quietly, "considering how badly I'd like to forget." Her eyes met Thane's as she leaned her elbows on the table. "I may not have a perfect memory, but that day… I can close my eyes and remember every minute detail."

She met his solid black eyes and began her story. "I was on Kahje for a contract, stealing valuable research on the cure for Kepral's Syndrome for a salarian. The job had gone smoothly; no resistance, lax security. It was a walk in the Presidium. I had just sent the data to the salarian and began erasing everything in the hanar's files." One of Thane's ridged brows lifted slightly in surprise and Gidget held up a hand defensively. "It wasn't without remorse, I assure you."

"If it was part of your contract I cannot hold it against you," he said. "You merely acting a tool and have responsibility for the loss of that data." At the look on his face he added, "We can debate our different beliefs at another time. For now, please." Thane motioned for her to continue.

Gidget obliged, pushing any arguments about free will to the side. "The deletion process had barely begun when a drell woman walked in. I remember her eyes were a blazing orange-red and her skin was a beautiful burgundy. She was searching around the lab for something and I assumed she worked for one of the hanar scientists."

Thane gave a small nod, eyes distant. "Yes, Irikah was particularly close to one of the hanar in that lab. She would spend much time there helping him."

It was Gidget's turn to nod once, then she licked her lips and continued. "I was waiting under my tactical cloak and hoping she'd leave before it wore off and _praying_ she'd stay away from the damn console. After a few minutes, the doors opened and several batarians stormed in. I recognized a few of them of as clients of another agent but I didn't know why they would be on Kahje until they started speaking to her. One of them-- the one who had done most of the dealings with the agent-- asked your wife, Irikah, where you were. She refused to give up any information and called him a few colorful words. That's when things got ugly."

When Gidget paused in her story, she looked to Thane. The drell's lips were twisted into a frown and the ridges of his brow were drawn tightly together. "Go on," he whispered.

"They kept demanding to know where you were and where your son was but no matter how hard they hit her, she wouldn't say a word. She barely even cried out. The whole time she just looked at them defiantly." Gidget shuddered as the memories became more vivid and she felt her throat begin to tighten. "The things they did to her," she whispered. "I was horrified. I wanted to stop them or kill them all myself or _anything_ but I couldn't move. I couldn't even yell so I remained hidden, listening to her being brutally murdered. There were so many of them and I was just one woman with a pistol."

Her eyes watered and Gidget gritted her teeth against the sting of tears, her gaze focused on the table. "I was a coward," she admitted hatefully. "I waited until they were gone before I came out of hiding but by then she was nearly gone and the only thing I could do was hold her hand as she died."

Now the tears leaked out and she looked up at Thane. The assassin's head was bowed but she could still see the tears that streamed down his apple green skin. He didn't see the broken look in her eyes as she croaked, "I've blamed myself for her death every single day since then."

Slowly, Thane looked up at her. He blinked slowly and his breathing remained steady and even. It astounded Gidget that he still managed to keep his voice unchanged in its calm tone as he said, "You are not the one I hold responsible. You were young and afraid and against a band of armed batarians you would have died as well. I can only rest assured knowing Irikah did not die alone."

Lip trembling, Gidget slowly shook her head. "I was a coward," she repeated quietly. "I have been ever since my father…" she broke off, unable to finish. She took a steadying breath and wiped away her tears. "I could have helped her. I _should_ have helped her."

"If anyone is to blame, it is I," Thane said. "Had I retired from my work as an assassin, her life and my son's would never have been compromised. At the time I blamed the batarians who killed her and I sought them out, killing each of them slowly. I reveled in their deaths but in the end, I knew it was I who had killed her."

Gidget's eyes were full of empathy as she met his obsidian gaze. "You can't blame yourself for what they did."

"Can't I?" His voice was oddly sharp and he blinked both sets of eyelids. "You of all people should understand the dangers of keeping close relations in work like ours. I knew the risks when I took her as my wife and I paid the price."

Pursing her lips, Gidget leaned back again. "At least you had the courage to take that chance. I've spent twenty years avoiding even a friendship."

Thane blinked again, considering this. "You do so out of concern for others. It is admirable, in a way, to isolate yourself for their safety."

She shrugged a little. "Admirable, sure but you've walked the other path. You've lived what I've missed all these years. I'd hardly call what I've been doing 'living'. Hiding from people, hiding from the Shadow Broker, watching innocent people die and failing at any attempts for atonement." Gidget shook her head sadly.

"You saved my life today," Thane said, one hand hesitating to rest atop Gidget's clenched fist. His hand shied away from hers and he folded them neatly in front of him again. "And you have joined this crew to find a cure for all the drell afflicted with Kepral's Syndrome. I would say that is a good start and if it brings you any peace from any guilt you feel about Irikah, we shall call ourselves even."

She snorted quietly. "If it hadn't been for what happened in the lab, I never would have left the Shadow Broker," she said. "So the way I see it, if you're allowed to blame yourself for what happened then we're not even close to even."

One corner of Thane's lips quirked up in a half smile. "Very well," he said, choosing not to argue. "We shall discuss this further at another time. For now I would like to reflect on what we have talked about."

"Later then," said Gidget, rising from her chair and giving him a nod. As she passed he returned the gesture before bowing his head to his clasped hands.

When the door to life support hissed closed behind her, Gidget leaned against the wall between their two doors. She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long, slow breath. It had gone far better than she had expected, considering she was both alive and unharmed. And she had to admit it felt good to have talked about what happened that day, which she had never done before. It had also been nice to reach out to another person and connect with them instead of staying distant to protect them from the Shadow Broker.

Thinking of the Shadow Broker made Gidget scowl. She forced herself to remember that she was still on the run from him and getting too close to anyone on the Normandy would be dangerous for everyone involved.

"Oh, hello Agent Gidget!" She opened her eyes to see the bright smile of Kelly Chambers. "I've been looking for you. Would you mind talking for a bit for your evaluation?" With no excuse for an escape, Gidget's mouth opened a closed a few times while she floundered. Then, resigned to her fate, she gave the yeoman a forced smile and invited her into the port observatory.

As she ushered the overly enthusiastic woman into her room, Gidget mused, _'On second thought, maybe endangering the lives of certain crewmates isn't such a bad idea after all.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Yeoman Kelly Chambers' questions had started off innocently enough with things about Gidget's parents and childhood, why she joined the Shadow Broker, and so on. Gidget fiddled with her omni tool as she gave one vague answer after another and inwardly squirming at the discomfort of being asked to share details of her life with a near stranger.

"Do you have any lovers waiting for you?" The young woman was smiling at her with an innocent expression, betrayed by a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Uh… what?" Gidget mentally shook herself to clear her head. "No, I don't."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Kelly in possibly the most insincere tone Gidget had ever heard. "May I ask what your preferences are?" The yeoman gave her a coy smile and Gidget almost dropped her omni tool.

For a moment all she could do was stare as if she'd been slapped by a hanar. Was Kelly coming on to her? Then again it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if the rumors were true. A wicked thought crept into Gidget's mind. "If you promise not to tell," she began, looking bashful. "It's a little embarrassing."

"Of course," exclaimed the yeoman, leaning a little closer for the coming gossip. "I'm sure it's not embarrassing at all."

Gidget leaned forward, casting an anxious glance towards the door. In a low voice she said, "I like mechs."

Kelly leaned back looking struck. "Mechs? Like… pleasure bots?"

Slowly, Gidget shook her head. "No. Like security mechs. The bigger the better."

"Oh." the yeoman leaned back a little more, a thoughtful look on her features. "I hadn't realized they could be used for that. Interesting."

"Oh yeah," said Gidget, letting her imagination roam to dirty matters. "If you can get one to use its--" A set of high pitched beeps from her omni tool made Gidget stop and look down at her arm. A series of green and white words were flashing at her and her face brightened a little. "Oh, that's it! That's the file."

"The one you needed for Thane's cure," Kelly asked, leaning to peer at the omni.

Instinctively, Gidget shied away as she pressed a series of buttons and keys. "This is perfect. He was on a ship orbiting Kahje when I sent the data," she muttered, standing up and pacing as her fingers tapped deftly at the omni tool. "Now that I have the ship's name I can search through the data of any nearby stations for a location. Of course I'll probably have to use the Normandy's transmission systems to get a further reach…"

As Gidget babbled on about technical stuff, Kelly got to her feet and began moving towards the door. "I'll leave you to your work," she said, pressing the access panel. Her words fell on deaf ears as Gidget continued to pace the observatory.

It wasn't long before she was asking EDI where Shepard was. Gidget left her room and quickly strolled through the galley and past several crewmembers. She glanced at them as they all watched her pass and trot up the stairs and down the hall to the main battery. Too excited to dwell on their lingering eyes, she pushed the thought aside and tapped the access panel on the door.

The doors swished open and Gidget gave a little start. "Oh! I-I'm sorry!" Gidget's head snapped up to look at the ceiling as Shepard and Garrus jumped at her sudden entrance and began to disentangle from their intimate lip-lock.

"I had no idea," Gidget continued to blabber while the commander slid off the console and straightened her clothes. .

"I didn't-- EDI told me you were here." Gidget was looking at the floor, the ceiling the wall, anything except Shepard and Garrus. "I had no idea," she repeated. "I just wanted to let you know I got a lead on the salarian. I'll just tell Joker where and I'll be going now."

Turning on her heel she nearly ran from the main battery. In the galley the clump of crewmembers that had been watching the whole exchange began to snigger. "Thanks for the warning," she snapped only to earn more laughter. "That goes for you too EDI."

"My apologies," chimed EDI's voice as Gidget neared the door to her room.

"Uh-huh," said the blushing agent, skeptically. "Do it again and I'll hose down your AI core."

"I don't think Commander Shepard would appreciate that as it would effectively 'kill' me and the ship." The AI managed to sound smug.

Gidget narrowed her eyes at the thin air as EDI's blue sphere had yet to materialize. "I've got my eye on you," she muttered darkly.

"That is impossible," EDI informed. "Your eyes are both securely in your head."

Growling, Gidget spat, "Just tell Joker we have to go to Ilium!" Any other comments by the AI were ignored as Gidget turned to enter the port observatory. She paused and eyed the door to life support.

After a moment's hesitation she pressed the green panel and quietly entered the room. Thane was exactly as she had left him a few hours ago; head bowed and hands clasped as he prayed. Gidget momentarily wondered if that was all the drell ever did.

She was about to open her mouth when he spoke without turning to look at her. "Gidget," he said in that deep, resonating voice of his. "Is there something you need?"

"I just thought you might like to know we have a lead on that cure," she said, taking a hesitant step forward. "Joker's taking us to Ilium now to follow up on it."

"That is…" Thane paused to choose his words, "interesting news."

"You don't want to find a cure for Kepral's?" she asked, walking forward to stand beside the table.

Thane finally turned to look at her. "I have made peace with my fate," he said quietly. "I am speaking to my son for the first time in many years and I have tried to leave the galaxy a better place than I found it."

Gidget grinned. "By killing the bad guys and saving damsels in distress?"

"Something like that, yes." Thane's own plump lips quirked in a half smile. "Perhaps less saving and more killing though."

"Eh, hazard of the job, I suppose." Then she moved to stand by the window to the ship's core. "Why did you become an assassin?"

"As part of the Compact the hanar began training me when I was six. I made my first kill when I was twelve," he explained. "It is all I have ever known. And you? How did you come to work for the Shadow Agent?"

For a moment, Gidget considered the question. Kelly had asked her the same thing earlier and she had given a loose rendition of the truth, omitting the majority of the details. Now, however, as she stood facing the drell, she found herself wanting to tell him. Perhaps it was the strange calm he exuded or maybe the knowledge that he would answer any and all of her questions honestly.

Gidget slid into the seat across from him again. "I grew up on the Citadel with my father and younger brother. We were poor and when I was about eight or nine one of the agents recognized my potential. My brother and I were what are called 'duct rats' so I could gather a lot of intel by crawling around in the air vents and whatnot."

"The drell have a word for that," said Thane. "Drala'fa, meaning the ignored. I used children such as yourself to gather information."

"I'm not surprised," she said, shrugging. "The poor do hear and see a lot that other people don't. Especially kids. That was all small time stuff though. When my dad died I was swept off the Citadel and sent to Ilium for training and bigger jobs."

"I am sorry about your father," said Thane, black eyes blinking at her. "May I ask how it happened?"

"Dock accident," Gidget replied. "I barely even knew anything was wrong before I left." She gave a short, dry laugh. "I didn't even know what happened to my brother."

Thane caught the flash of pain in her green eyes and leaned towards her a little across the table. "Have you tried to find him?"

Gidget shook her head. "There are too many reasons not too. The most important of which being the Shadow Broker finding him if I try to contact him. If he's even alive."

"You don't have to contact him," Thane offered. "You could merely check that he is living a good life."

"I suppose," she said thoughtfully.

"Either the way, it is something to think about." Thane offered her a small smile and she returned it.

"I'll see you later, Krios." Gidget got up and he bowed his head as she passed.

On her way out the door EDI's blue sphere appeared. "Agent Gidget," the AI purred. "Shepard would like you to visit Mordin for a physical. Also, she believes that you should see Miranda about creating a dossier."

"No tricks this time?" Gridget glared at the blue sphere.

"As an AI I was not programmed to play tricks, miss Gidget," EDI replied indignantly.

Gidget snorted and began walking away. "Good to know you can be catty though."

* * *

Six days passed since Gidget discovered the lead on the salarian scientist and the Normandy was slowly making her way towards Ilium. The reason for the delay was an irritating need to probe every moon they came across and a near steady stream of minor jobs and distress signals. Each time a message from either the Illusive Man or the Alliance popped up on her private terminal, Shepard grudgingly pulled together a squad and moved out. And every time they stopped to probe, the commander looked about ready to bang her head against the wall in frustration. All she wanted to was to get to Ilium, find the salarian, cure Thane and get on with her personal war against the reapers but it seemed like everyone else had different plans.

During that time, Gidget grew more and more restless. She had spent her life on space stations and the occasional planet. For her, ships had merely been a way to get from one place to another and she never had to spend much time on one. To help ease her cabin fever she explored the Normandy and acquainted herself with the crew.

Unfortunately, they didn't all extend the warmest of welcomes. Jack threatened to turn her into a stain on the wall-- the rest of the crew assured her that Jack hated everyone-- and Grunt immediately deemed her weak because her chosen profession was to hide in shadows and sneak around. Gidget couldn't really argue with the krogan's point considering how much of her life she had spent hiding from her problems-- namely, the Shadow Broker-- instead of facing them head on.

On the other hand, Tali was friendly if a little too involved in her work. A few times Gidget went down and caught her when she wasn't too busy and the two had some interesting conversations about tech stuff. Gidget admired the quarian's technical genius and her open detest for Cerberus. When asked why she was on a Cerberus ship if she hated, Tali's reply was that she worked for Shepard, not the Illusive Man.

Jacob seemed more or less indifferent to Gidget's presence but still hadn't gotten over his mild annoyance at her little practical joke her fist day onboard. Mordin was likeable and rather amusing with his fast talking and rapid thought processes. Unfortunately their first meeting had left Gidget red faced as he cautioned her on the dangers of intercourse with a mech. Despite multiple efforts to explain she had been only trying to scare Kelly off, Mordin insisted she be safe and recommended some ointments and creams in case she decided to get frisky with Legion. The encounter made Gidget avoid the AI core like it was a petting zoo full of starved vorcha and she began plotting the death of Kelly Chambers.

The rumors the yeoman had spread earned Gidget quite a few looks from the crew and even one from Legion as she was stuck in the elevator with him once. Naturally that only added fuel to the fire. The geth watched her in what she could only assume was a curious way until she nearly dived off the lift and into her room. Since then she had taken to openly glaring at the yeoman who seemed cheerfully oblivious to the agent's silent death threats on her.

Not surprisingly, the only person on board who truly hated Gidget was Miranda. Despite her own dislike of the Illusive Man ever since he pushed Shepard into a trap, the XO played strictly by the book and reported back to him like a faithful watchdog. This did not go over well with Gidget.

"No." The statement sounded close to a growl and it carried a steel edge to it as Gidget stood in front of Miranda's desk, arms crossed.

The brunette leaned over the desk and glared back. "I wasn't asking." Her accent was as thick as her anger was vivid.

"I don't take orders from you," replied Gidget through gritted teeth.

"I'm second in command around here. You do what I say, when I say it unless Shepard orders otherwise." Miranda placed her hands on her slender hips and smirked at Gidget, baiting her for a response.

"I could care less if you were the spawn of every god in the known galaxy. I do not take orders from you." It was Gidget's turn to place her hands akimbo. "In fact, I'm not even technically part of this crew so I don't have to do a damn thing. I only do what Shepard says because I respect her."

Miranda's pretty face turned into a scowl. "Even Shepard said you have to do this."

"You're not putting me in a file to be openly displayed to any fool with an omni tool." Gidget's jaw was set in a determined line as she stared down the XO.

"How many times do I have to tell you," began Miranda, trying to keep her breathing under control as she ground out each word slowly. "Our systems are secure."

Gidget gave a humorless laugh. "Are you kidding me? A _space cow_ could hack your precious systems!"

"Look," snapped Miranda, all patience lost. "You're giving me the information I need for this file and it's going into the database whether you like it or not."

Fists clenched by her sides, Gidget growled, "over my dead body."

The blue glow of biotic power crackled around Miranda's fists. "That can be arranged."

"Perhaps you should both calm down and speak to Commander Shepard," suggested EDI, her blue sphere appearing off to the side.

"Shut up, EDI!" Both woman yelled in unison.

Gidget turned back to Miranda, eyes flashing. "Go ahead," she goaded.

Miranda raised her fist, the biotic glow growing brighter, just as the doors swished open and Shepard stormed in. "What in the hell is going on here?"

"Gidget is refusing to follow orders," said Miranda, lowering her fist but still glaring at the spy.

"Because it will jeopardize me and everyone else," snapped Gidget. She turned to Shepard and in a calmer tone explained. "Shepard, if the Shadow Broker catches even the slightest inkling that I'm on the Normandy he will be sending a swarm of agents after me. Not only will that put all of us in danger but it will seriously slow down our search for the Kepral's cure. I know you all think your systems are secure but some of these agents are better hackers than Tali and Legion combined."

Shepard listened attentively and considered Gidget's point for a moment. She turned to Miranda. "She's right," she said simply. Miranda's jaw dropped and she made to protest but Shepard quickly cut her off. "From what I understand about the Shadow Broker, he has his fingers in a lot of pies and if Gidget says he has people that can get into the Cerberus database, I believe her."

"You can't be serious," cried Miranda, clearly outraged. "Shepard, the Shadow Broker was working with the collectors to bring your body back to the reapers. You can't really trust someone who works for him."

"Uh, _used_ to work for him," corrected Gidget. "And what's this about the broker working with the collectors?"

"Like you didn't know," sneered Miranda.

"That's enough." Shepard held up her hands and looked from one to the other, a warning gleam in her eyes. "It's exactly what it sounds like, Gidget. And Miranda, you're right." Gidget made a disbelieving noise as Miranda smirked smugly. "Gidget we don't know you well enough to be able to blindly trust you. I would think as an informant, you'd understand that."

Grudgingly, Gidget nodded. "Good," said Shepard. "So here's how it works. We can't hide you forever. Eventually you'll have to come with us onto Ilium and I'm sure the Shadow Broker will hear that you're onboard the Normandy. Once that happens you will cooperate with Miranda and create a file. Until then, I'll let it go but when you're on my ship and working with my crew you will take orders when they're given be it from me or Miranda. Understood?" The look she gave the shorter woman was like cold steel.

Gidget straightened her spine and met Shepard's gaze. "Yes, ma'am," she said formally and with a respectful bow of her head.

"Good. Now gear up. We just picked up another distress call and I think you need to get off the ship for a little while." The commander motioned towards the door and Gidget left with a final nod, all too happy to oblige.

"I still don't trust her," Miranda said once the doors had closed.

Shepard crossed her arms. "I believe her story." She smiled at her XO and continued, "Aria of all people trusted her so I'll buy it. If you want reassurance, I received a message this morning from Aria herself. Read it if you want." Shepard's smile turned into a grin. "She seemed pretty upset that we stole her favorite spy."

"She's good, I'll give her that much." Miranda tilted her head slightly in thought. "Shepard," she began, voice far more tame than it had been moments before. "Do you think she really has a fetish for mechs?"

"I hope not," answered the commander with a shudder and a grimace. And people thought it strange she was with a turian!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The air was thick with gunfire and the metal floor of the military base was littered with used heat sinks and dying batarians. The bread crumb trail of dead bodies had been left in the wake of commander Shepard and her shore party. Her green eyes were on fire and her jaw set as the team pushed ever forward, blasting their way through the base and shooting anything that moved. Cleaning house had always been one of Shepard's favorite type of missions because it was a great stress reliever. Today, however, too much depended on their success and they were pressed for time.

"Two minutes remaining," EDI chimed, her voice seeming to sound a little anxious.

"The commander's shield is just about down." Shepard's voice was steely through the comm link. "I'm going around. Garrus, you cover me. Gidget, keep working on his shield. I want it gone by the time I'm on him."

"Rodger that," Gidget replied as she popped up from behind a crate and landing a shot square in the batarian commander's chest. His shield shimmered with the contact and he growled angrily before ducking back behind his cover.

Pulling out her shotgun, Shepard moved to the right and forward to flank the commander. Three batarians were between her and her target and each fell with a single shot from Garrus. Gidget moved to the left to draw attention away from Shepard and fired again, causing the batarian's shield to fall completely. At that moment, Shepard sprang forward and dropped him with a single blast from her shotgun.

"Move out." Her voice held such authority Gidget was surprised the dead batarians didn't jump up and fall in line.

The small group came to the final door and Gidget made quick work of hacking it open while Garrus and Shepard watched her back in case they happened to miss any enemies on their way in.

"Open," said Gidget getting to her feet as the doors swished open. The three had their weapons trained on the inside of the room but the only thing they found was the console they had been searching for.

Commander Shepard stood beside Gidget as the agent tapped a few buttons and frowned. "Shepard this console can only stop one of the missiles," she said, turning her worried frown to the commander. "It's either the spaceport or the residential district."

"Do it," said Shepard, nodding.

Gidget's eyes glanced to the screen where a video feed of the colony's main city was displayed and her hands strayed towards the keys on the console. She longed to stop the missile but a lifetime of conditioning caused her to look back at Shepard. "Which…?"

Shepard's green eyes narrowed and for a split second she studied the short woman. "Which do you think?" She asked, testing her.

There was a long pause while Gidget stared at Shepard, trying to read her stony expression and hoping to find an answer. She turned away and looked back down at the console before quickly tapping in a sequence. EDI's voice rang through their comm link. "Missile disabled."

All eyes turned to the screens and watched as the bright light of the remaining missile appeared in an arc before crashing down on the buildings in a glorious explosion which knocked out the cam and killed the connection. The screen went fuzzy and all that remained was the residential district.

Shepard let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You made the right decision," she said, clapping Gidget on the back.

"You hesitated so long, for a minute I thought you were going to let both missiles go," chuckled Garrus as the three began walking back to the Normandy.

Gidget let out a shaky sigh. "I've never been good with making moral decisions," she said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, I know right from wrong but ever since I was a kid I've lived in the gray and all the black and white choices were made for me." She looked up at Shepard. "I don't know how you do it. Especially with ones as big as 'blow up the collector base or hand it over to Cerberus.'"

"Actually," said Shepard, glancing at Garrus. "That was kinda easy. The reapers were working through the collectors and using humans for their own sick research." The commander's face turned dark with the memories of the horrors she had seen on the collector base. "Blowing up the base would mean all those people died for nothing. At least if I handed the base over to Cerberus some research could be done to find a way to stop the reapers once and for all. Besides, if the Illusive Man decides to use their technology for his own gain, he'd be a lot easier to take out than the reapers." She gave a wicked smile. "And I'd enjoy kicking his ass a lot more."

* * *

The onni tool sat on her lap like an old fashioned computer, her feet tucked under her as she sat Indian style on one of the long cushioned benches in the port observatory. The orange screen was glowing warmly at her but her eyes were staring blankly at the void on the other side of the window. One elbow rested on her knee, her chin on her thumb and her fingers lightly touching her lips as she drifted in thought.

"Gidget." The soft, gravelly voice shook her from her trance and she blink a few times before turning her head to look over her shoulder. Thane stood just inside the door, hands folded behind his back while his large black eyes focused on her. "You didn't visit me at your usual time," he said, referring to what had become routine for them.

Everyday after lunch and immediately after each mission either one went on, Gidget would wander into life support and the two would engage in small talk. Thane was one of the few people on the Normandy that Gidget felt comfortable with and she found she was able to talk to the assassin about her past without being judged. She discovered that she wasn't the only one who felt guilty about the things her occupation made her do and for that she felt closer to Thane than anyone else.

"When you failed to visit after the mission I grew…" Thane considered for a moment, blinking both sets of eyelids. "Concerned. If I have interrupted your meditation, I can return later."

As Thane made to bow, Gidget twisted more fully in her seat o face him better. "No, no. I wasn't meditating," she said quickly. "I mean, you're not interrupting. I just got a little lost in thought. Come, sit."

Gidget moved a few data pads from the seat beside her and dropped them on the floor in front of her. She lightly patted the now clean seat and offered the drell a smile. Slowly, he moved around the end of the sofa and sat down with his body angled slightly towards her. Gidget shifted in her seat to face him fully, keeping her legs tucked up and omni tool where it was.

"What were thinking about?" Thane asked curiously.

With a sigh, Gidget ran her fingers lightly over her omni tool. "Just reflecting on my past," she said before offering a wry smile. "Again."

He considered this a moment. "Your past causes you much grief."

Slowly, she nodded. "I'm not happy with the choices I've made," she explained. "Especially after this last mission." With a frown she looked back up at Thane. "It wouldn't be so bad but I've always known what I _should_ do I just…" Gidget shrugged. "I never did since I joined the Shadow Broker."

"Do you count signing on with him among your bad decisions?" Thane asked.

Gidget pursed her lips a moment before shaking her head. "No. Back then I was helping my family and selling information about drug dealers and criminals. The Shadow Broker paid me. It wasn't much but for the first time my father didn't have to pass up meals just make sure his children could eat. I should have stopped after he died though. I appreciate all the training, everything I learned and where I am now but I don't like the person they molded me into."

Thane made a thoughtful noise while he looked out at the void. "You have the strength to change," he said at last. "I can see it in you. You wish to atone for your sins and doing so will break their 'mold' of you. You merely needed to be guided to the right path and I believe Shepard has done that as she has with so many of us."

Nodding, Gidget agreed. "I know I'm headed in the right direction for and I'm… happy, I guess would be the word. I know it won't be easy but it feels good to be doing something right for a change and hopefully once all this over I'll know what I need to do keep it up."

"Then what troubles you?" he asked, focusing on her round face again.

Her frown deepened and her brows furrowed. "My biggest regret out of all the terrible things I caused, was abandoning my brother and I will _never_ forgive myself for that."

"Have you looked for him yet?" asked Thane, motioning to her omni tool.

Running her fingers over it, Gidget shook her head sadly. "I was thinking of it when you came in. Actually, I have been since you first mentioned it."

He blinked once and his own brows furrowed. "Why do you hesitate?"

With a shuddering breath, she explained. "I want to find him. I really, really do but I know just checking to see if he's alive won't be enough. I'll want to see him and beg for his forgiveness but…" She trailed off with a shrug.

"You fear he will turn you away for the woman you have become," finished Thane, understanding where her mind was going.

Gidget nodded. "When we were kids I took care of him. I made sure he was fed and watched over him when dad was at work all day. I protected him and scarcely let him out of my sight. I couldn't even tell you how many fights I got into trying to defend him from the other duct rats. And he looked up to me. I was his world. The only person he admired more was our father." Her eyes watered and she blinked back tears as she added, "I can't even begin to imagine how crushed he was when I left and to think that his saintly big sister became the devil's advocate… if he found out he'd be devastated all over again."

Thane placed one green and black hand on her shoulder. "The path we walk is not an easy one. You will bear this guilt for eternity, even if you try to atone by contacting him. I experienced something similar with my son, Kolyat. I still feel the guilt of leaving him but I am happier since we have reconnected. I believe you would feel the same if you were to find your brother but the choice is always yours." His agile hand squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Just remember; I am your friend and I will be here whenever you need to talk."

Gidget blinked in surprise. "Friend," she repeated slowly, testing the word. "I can't remember the last time I had one of those." She gave a breath of a laugh. "Not sure if that scares me or not." She met his eyes with a half smile. "Are you sure you want to be my friend? You might get killed by the shadow broker."

Thane's plump lips twitched in what she had come to associate with his smile. "That is a chance I am willing to take," he said. After a beat he added, "If only because I am already dying."

Gidget's face crumpled in offense but as she took in the way Thane's black eyes watched her expectantly and the subtle quirk to the corner of his mouth, realization dawned on her. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped a little. "Thane Krios, was that a joke?!"

"Perhaps," he said lightly, mouth still quirked as Gidget laughed.

Once she regained her composure and stopped laughing, Gidget looked up at him with a smile and soft eyes. "Thank you," she said, taking his hand and giving it a light squeeze. She was surprised at the softness and resisted the urge to rub her thumb over his knuckles to test the texture and see if the tiny scales would catch like it would with a lizard.

He bowed his head slightly. "Of course." Thane returned the gesture by holding her hand a little tighter as he said, "I will leave you to your thoughts." With a final, gentle squeeze to her fingers, Thane let go and rose. He gave a respectful bow before leaving a smiling Gidget to fiddle with her omni tool.

After several long minutes of contemplation, Gidget adjusted her omni tool on her lap. Her fingers tapped gracefully as she accessed the extranet and hacked her way into a high priority message, using it to "piggyback" quickly through comm buoys. When she reached the Citadel's buoy, she paused for a moment before connecting to an information bank and searching through for Reese Gidget.


End file.
